Hydrocarbon-furnace



(No Model.)

N. ROGERS 8; J. A. WHARRY. HYDROGABBON FURNACE.

No. 427,367. Patented May 6, 1890.

'ments in hydrocarbon furnaces or burners,

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE. r

NEWVTON ROGERS AND JAMES AhlVHARRY, OF TERRE l-IAUTE, INDIANA.

HYDROCARBON-FU RNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,367, dated May 6, 1890.

Application filed August 10, 1889. Serial No. 320,403. (No model.) I

heating-retort and is provided with lateral To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, NEWTON ROGERS and JAMES A. XVHARRY, of Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in l-Iydrocarbon-Furnaces; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

Our invention relates to certain improveand more particularly to that sub-class of the above known as retort-Vaporizers, wherein oil and water are vaporized and the vapors are mixed, superheated, and burned.

The object of the invention is to provide a hydrocarbon-burner of the above class with suitable means to regulate, equalize, and relieve the pressure within the vaporizing-retort of the burner caused by the sudden vaporization of the water entering the retort, and thereby prevent danger of explosion, and

. more particularly prevent pulsation or blowing out of the flame by the excess of steam. These objects are accomplished by and our invention consists in certain novel features of construction, and in combinations of parts more fully described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the burner, a portion beingbroken away to show the valve. Fig. 2 is adetail perspective of the valve.

In the drawings the reference-letter CLlDCllcates the base of the burner, above which are supported the three parallel closed strong metal retorts b c d. The retort b is an oilvaporizing retort, and an oil-supply pipe 6 connected with a supply of oil opens into one end of the retort. lhe opposite retort-(Z is the water-vaporizing retort, and is provided with the water-supply pipe f, extending into one end of the same. The retort c is the vapor mixing and superheating retort, and the vapor is passed into this retort from the vaporizing-retorts through the pipes g. A vaporsupply pipe It extends down from the superbu rner-pipes having burners directly beneath the superheating-retort.

The operation of the device is started by burning oil beneath the retorts until sufficient heat is attained to start vaporization in the retorts, when the vapors will become ignited at the burners, and the heat of the flame from the burners passing up and around and between the retorts vaporizes the oil and water and superheats the vapors.

Instead of the usual elbow or two-way coupling in the Water-supply pipe near its junction with the water-vaporizing retort, this pipe is provided with a T o'r three-way coupling provided with a short vertical pipe-section 41, extending upwardly therefrom and having its upper open end provided with a beveled valve-seat. A freely-movable gravityvalve j loosely fits in and normally closes the upper open end of this pipe, and this valve consists of a hollow valve stein ortube loosely extending down into the said pipe 1', open at its lower end and closed at the upper end,

and provided with an annular enlargement or valve proper to normally rest 011 the valveseat at the upper end of the pipe and close the same, and the valve-stem immediately below this enlargement is provided with lateral exit-openings it from the interior thereof. The valve above the enlargement can be extended upwardly or otherwise weighted to require the desired amount of pressure to lift the same.

The old hydrocarbon-burners of this class generally have no relief from the sudden expansion. and pressure caused by the conversion of the water into steam; hence the steam blows out at the burners and causes pulsation of the flame, danger of explosion, imperfect combustion, and clogging of the burner-open ings, and is also liable to blow out the flame. The water enters the vaporizing-chamber in drops, and as every drop enters it is vaporized, and this sudden expansion of each drop is so great that the excess of steam blows out at the burner in pulsations, causing the foregoing disadvantages; but by means of the present construction these disadvantages and objections are entirely obviated and over-- come, for the valve is so weighted that the excess of steam and water instead of blowing out at the burners lifts the valve and passes through the stem and exit-openings, so that the pressure at the burners is even and the flame steady, and hence the combustion perfect. It should be noted that this valve does not regulate the quantity of water or steam admitted, but regulates or equalizes the pressure on the jets or burners.

WVhat we claim is 1. In a hydrocarbon-burner, the combination of a burner, an oil-vaporizing retort connected therewith, a water-vaporizing retort connected therewith, a water-supply pipe for said retort, and an automatic pressure-regulator for the water-vaporizing retort, comprising an upwardly-extending open pipe connected therewith, and a gravity-valve normally closing the open end of said pipe and regulating the pressure of steam at the burner, substantially as described.

2. In a hydrocarbon-burner, the combination of a burner, the oil and water vaporizing retorts, and an automatic pressure-regulator for the water-vaporizing retort to prevent excess of steam or pulsation at the burner, consisting of an escape-pipe provided at its open end with an automatic relief-valve, normally closing the open end of said pipe, substantially as described.

3. In a hydrocarbon-burner, the combination of aburner, the oil and water vaporizing retorts, a water-supply pipe for the water-vaporizing retort, an escape-pipe extending up from said pipe near said retort, and an automatic Weighted valve normally closing the upper open end of said escape-pipe and having a hollow valve-stem extending down into the same and provided with escape-ports at its upper end, substantially as described.

4. In a hydrocarbon-burner, the combination with a water-vaporizing retort, a burner connected therewith, a water-supply pipe for the retort, a pipe-section extending upwardly from said supply-pipe near its junction with the retort and open at the upper end, and an automatic gravity-valve in the open end of said pipe, consisting of a hollow valve-stem extending into the pipe, and an annular enlargement at the upper end of the stem normally resting and closing the upper end of said pipe, said stem having a lateral steamexit just below said enlargement, substantially as described.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own we afiiX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

NEI/VTON ROGERS. JAMES A. WVHARRY.

WVitnesses:

RANSOM ROGERS, CLAYBONE HEDGES. 

